According to one commentator, it's the President's fault. I'd think it was the high cost of plug-in hybrid vehicles, NHSTA's fire problem that was their fault and not GM's, or just that people don't have enough money. P-I hybrids just don't save enough for most people when you look at 100k mile life/cost of fuel/cost of vehicle combined.

I personally hope that if there is some leadership changes in 2012, that we don't go back to the dark ages of plentiful tax breaks for oil companies while we pay high prices at the pump. Current gasoline prices are the fault of the rest of the world, not the President or Congress. Our oil companies (yes I can provide references) exported more oil products than we imported for the first time since 1949, and oil production is steadily climbing- even with the oil drilling/refining disasters we've endured. The fact is that other nations are willing to pay more for oil than the companies would make selling it here in the USA. That's a world market economy effect, to suggest that we force them to sell it at home first would be non-capitalist of us.

If we want to lead the world in the future, we need electric cars here while we sell our oil to the developing world. Battery and electro-motive tech has made some great advances this year that haven't made it to market yet- and that's proof of what American ingenuity can do. We just need to keep working on it. Anyone who touts anything else is just telling us what we want to hear, and what will end up happening is that we will pay tax money now for future oil company profits even if we drill in everyone's back yard, and are capable to refine it down the street- it won't lower prices here if China, Mexico, and India are paying top dollar.

For research Google: Organic battery electrode, and MIT battery. I can't recall what University it was that discovered the organic battery electrode, I think it was Indiana Tech, but I'm probably wrong. That's most interesting because it would allow up to 400A charging or some ridiculous amount of current meaning that we could recharge a 100 mile or better battery in minutes. MIT's discovery was laminated batteries which would reduce size and production costs once implemented.

see what happens when the gov't tries to influence private business?(if you can call gm a private business anymore after all the gov't money they received and have a lot left to pay back). I left a guy i work with speechless the other day when he showed his new chevy truck he bought. I asked him if he was going to let me drive it 62% of the time?? Of course I got a stupid look. So I said 62% of gm is owned by the gov't,which is my tax money paying for your truck!! He didn't have much to say after that. kind of amazing how clueless some people are.

The Volt frustrates me endlessly. It's just another Prius. What I expected was what it was intended to be. I wanted to see a car that was solely moved by electric power, but contained a gas or diesel engine for use ONLY as a generator. I can't fathom why that doesn't exist, particularly in diesel. I mean seriously, 26 miles on a full charge is laughable. They had the right idea to begin with, but they royally screwed it up. Way to go, GM, way to go. As usual.

I love the idea, my father has been making his own bio diesel for years for his F-350.

but as for the volt, i think gm screwed up. Great idea sure, but one thing I've noticed gm do for years is they release a future model YEARS before production hype it up and then deliver something less than the hype. about a year before the volt came out gm claimed 230 mpge, they missed this by a long shot. the huge price tag is a drawback, however I'm am surprised they haven't sold more given the removal of the prius and other hybrids from the HOV lane in cali and the volt is hov approved. The fires was another set back, as owners were told to not drive their cars. This thing is a huge advancement in technology for autos, but i think gm has missed the mark by a lot.

Well look at it this way,
GM has tried twice now and neither time has gone as well as hoped.

How many times has Chrysler or Ford tried?

And there you have it.
You take risks you'll suffer the downfall.
The Volt was a good idea on paper and for all intensive purposes works well. Problem is that it's such a limited use vehicle that the MSRP just can't be justified.

But you look back at automotive history and you can find plenty of 'what the hell were we thinking' production cars from every MFG. So it's not like this is anything new.

But on the diesel subject,
I'm all for it. Less cost to refine, less pollution, more economy. I keep saying that if the US ever bring the SMART diesel here I'll buy one, and I will.
Gasoline is sooo passé.

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